Swimming

"Swimming against the tide" - "things are going swimmingly" - "my head is swimming" - "swimming in the mainstream" - swimming in deep waters". All of these apply at different times and in different circumstances. At the moment I could apply all of them, according to what I'm doing & my current mood.

Actual swimming , which I do 3 - 4 times a week is completely different. It's half an hour swimming 32 lengths in the pool, when nothing and nobody impinges on one of the few things I do entirely selfishly, just for myself. My only focus is this stroke, this breath, this moment in time, this length. My head is clear, things that are worrying or perplexing me simply disappear. Oddly, solutions to problems often do pop into my head when swimming or soon after. My only problem is remembering what they were!

The brain is constantly working. Emotions interfere with logical thought. To be in a mindful state removing all the clatter of voices in our head is not easy to achieve. Being able to let go of thoughts and feelings is something you have to work very hard to achieve. We delude ourselves that we can control our world and those who inhabit it.

In fact the only time that exists is now - this moment. The trick is not to be wasting the moment looking back or trying to anticipate what will happen. We waste so much time and energy doing both these things, instead of trying to live each moment to the full doing something we really want to do. Yesterday has gone & is unchangeable. We may not have a tomorrow.

I've just disposed of a tide of paperwork amassed over several years. It no longer has any relevance to my life. I intend to dispose of another mountain of "stuff" which I feel serves no useful or emotional purpose. The "noise" of my life - being responsible for & worrying about "things" has to stop. I want to stop swimming against the tide of life in general and float in the warm waters enjoying myself. I am going to the deep end of the unknown, but the most noise comes from the shallow end!